Bird Shot

[Pops]

First dslr ... 1 week old
photograph taken at 1/60 - f9 - iso400 (shutter priority)
Tamron 70-300mm
tripod and cable release used.

Still finding my way around this camera so any and all comments/advice/suggestions will be taken on board.

Thanks

[Stephen]

Re: Bird Shot

Well I think its a pretty good attempt Pops, and although there are several branches around you have managed to get a clear shot of the bird. I think the image will stand some more sharpening though, its possible that the lens could be a tad soft at the 300mm end. Anyway I had a go in PS using smart sharpen and using the Lens blur option.

[Pol]

Re: Bird Shot

First dslr ... 1 week old
photograph taken at 1/60 - f9 - iso400 (shutter priority)
Tamron 70-300mm
tripod and cable release used.

Still finding my way around this camera so any and all comments/advice/suggestions will be taken on board.

Thanks

That's a very nice capture imho. I'm even more impressed you actually managed to get a good pose, well framed shot of a Blue tit at just 1/60. They're usually such lively little birds so I reckon you did very well to get the whole bird and and also with a clear view.

That particular tree/shrub or whatever looks as though it might have good potential for bird shots. Good spaces between the branches and nice greenery far enough behind for a decent background. Dunno about you but we're always cutting off a twig or branch here and there to make the garden 'bird shot friendly'.

I agree with Stephen that it could do with a touch more processing to sharpen the bird + branch. I often do it by selecting out the area I want sharpened, copy/pasting to a new layer, thus processing the bird and background separately. Nice adjustment from Stephen too.

I've always found Blueys quite challenging so I'm well impressed with yours, especially as you've only just got the camera. Almost all my Blue tit shots are at the feeder. I'm just not quick enough to catch the little blighters staying on a clear branch long enough for a decent shot.

Pol

[Pops]

Re: Bird Shot

I have just had a play with it and I used USM set at 1.
It does make a vast difference thanks. I'm a bit wary of oversharpening.
I think I'll up the sharpening in camera and try a few more tomorrow

[Ian]

Re: Bird Shot

First dslr ... 1 week old
photograph taken at 1/60 - f9 - iso400 (shutter priority)
Tamron 70-300mm
tripod and cable release used.

Still finding my way around this camera so any and all comments/advice/suggestions will be taken on board.

Thanks

Hi Pops, I think you could find opening up the aperture a bit and allowing yourself a faster shutter speed would have helped. I can't help but think the softness in your image is motion blur because of the slow shutter speed. Even if your camera and lens were rock steady on your tripod, the bird and its perch were probably moving and this would have caused some blur. If it's not that, then your lens really isn't up to the job.

I would guess your lens has a f/5.6 maximum aperture at the 300mm end of the zoom, so you probably only stopped down 1.3 stops, which makes things a bit tight, I know. But 1/125th or faster, instead of 1/60th, may have sharpened your image through freezing subject motion better.

At full aperture (f/5.6) the lens would likely be soft (like most but the very very best lenses wide open) and stopping down does gain optical resolution - up to a point. I think, however, that stopping down by two thirds of a stop would have given some of the lens' resolution edge back. At f/9 you are right on the limit in terms of aperture size and your EOS-400D's sensor resolution (smaller than f/9 and detail will start to be lost). So keeping at f/9 or above is good. But given what I can see of your situation when taking this shot, I wonder if f/7.1 @ 1/100th might have been better. Or even f/8 @ 1/160th using ISO 800.

Going higher up the ISO scale might be a good option, especially if you shoot in RAW. Using a good noise cleaner, like Noise Ninja, plus something like Smart Sharpen/Lens Blur in Photoshop CS2, can do wonders.

Ian

[Pops]

Re: Bird Shot

Hi Pops, I think you could find opening up the aperture a bit and allowing yourself a faster shutter speed would have helped. I can't help but think the softness in your image is motion blur because of the slow shutter speed. Even if your camera and lens were rock steady on your tripod, the bird and its perch were probably moving and this would have caused some blur. If it's not that, then your lens really isn't up to the job.

I would guess your lens has a f/5.6 maximum aperture at the 300mm end of the zoom, so you probably only stopped down 1.3 stops, which makes things a bit tight, I know. But 1/125th or faster, instead of 1/60th, may have sharpened your image through freezing subject motion better.

At full aperture (f/5.6) the lens would likely be soft (like most but the very very best lenses wide open) and stopping down does gain optical resolution - up to a point. I think, however, that stopping down by two thirds of a stop would have given some of the lens' resolution edge back. At f/9 you are right on the limit in terms of aperture size and your EOS-400D's sensor resolution (smaller than f/9 and detail will start to be lost). So keeping at f/9 or above is good. But given what I can see of your situation when taking this shot, I wonder if f/7.1 @ 1/100th might have been better. Or even f/8 @ 1/160th using ISO 800.

Going higher up the ISO scale might be a good option, especially if you shoot in RAW. Using a good noise cleaner, like Noise Ninja, plus something like Smart Sharpen/Lens Blur in Photoshop CS2, can do wonders.

Ian

Thankyou Ian.
That gives me lots of scope to play around with at my next session.
Your right about the max f5.6 and there is a high possibility about there being movement. Very rare to get any small bird stationary for more than a second or two.

[coupekid]

Re: Bird Shot

Thankyou Ian.
That gives me lots of scope to play around with at my next session.
Your right about the max f5.6 and there is a high possibility about there being movement. Very rare to get any small bird stationary for more than a second or two.

Hi Pops, I would echo what Ian has said, and also I would be inclined to stick the camera into manual mode, and just use the centre focus point, and try as best you can to get this on the birds eye. Ensuring that the eye is in perfect focus.

Nice start though!

[Pops]

Re: Bird Shot

Hi Pops, I would echo what Ian has said, and also I would be inclined to stick the camera into manual mode, and just use the centre focus point, and try as best you can to get this on the birds eye. Ensuring that the eye is in perfect focus.

Nice start though!

There lies a huge problem coupekid.
manual might be OK for the larger birds but the chances of using it on one of the small tits is virtually impossible. The often move faster than the eye can follow. I have tried dozens of times and end up with nothing but branches or feeders.

I did try some shots today using faster shutter speeds and varying the ISO. Did not notice much difference at all so maybe Ian's comments re the lens not doing it's job needs looking at now. I used Manual, Programme, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and various focal lengths - almost 2 hundred shots in all but not one was as sharp as I would have expected/wanted.
Incidently the feeders are only abou 12/15 feet away from the camera.

[coupekid]

Re: Bird Shot

There lies a huge problem coupekid.
manual might be OK for the larger birds but the chances of using it on one of the small tits is virtually impossible. The often move faster than the eye can follow. I have tried dozens of times and end up with nothing but branches or feeders.

I did try some shots today using faster shutter speeds and varying the ISO. Did not notice much difference at all so maybe Ian's comments re the lens not doing it's job needs looking at now. I used Manual, Programme, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and various focal lengths - almost 2 hundred shots in all but not one was as sharp as I would have expected/wanted.
Incidently the feeders are only abou 12/15 feet away from the camera.

Sorry, maybe I should clarify, when I say manual, I am referring to the settings, and not the focus.

I have taken many bird shots, and always use manual settings with a wide apperture, ISO of 400 is spot on.
Another thing would be not to zoom right in, and try it at about 200mm, and then slightly crop, although you would obviously lose a very small amount of detail, it would be almost unoticeable.

Using multi shot can help also, and fire off two or three in succession.

[Ian]

Re: Bird Shot

Ben makes a lot of sense - the movement of the bird and the branches can make the exposure meter fluctuate, even when the subject's illumination is actually constant. Best do some test shots or bracket and then set the camera to manual with the most appropriate exposure. I'd even be tempted to focus manually too, if the subject's distance wasn't changing - or at least use AF lock. This prevents any chance of the shutter release hesitating while AF takes place and you missing a great expression!

Ian

[Pops]

Re: Bird Shot

Thanks coupekid and Ian.
My next attempts will be with the focus locked on a particular spot and wait until the subjects move into frame rather than seeking them out. Unfortunately it doesn't look like happening today. The sky is terribly overcast and it's almost like night here at the moment.

Incidently I have been using multishot the whole time which I would expect to give me a better chance. The 400d is very fast with this option.